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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

NASCAR Announces Chases For XFINITY, Trucks

Using
the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format introduced in 2014 as a guidepost,
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced today the implementation of a
playoff system in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series.

On
the heels of a 2015 Chase that saw the highest season-finale viewership in
nearly a decade, the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will
each feature a seven-race Chase to decide its respective championships,
starting in 2016.

“Fans,
partners and the industry have embraced the new Chase format like nothing we’ve
seen in the sport’s history,” said France. “Winning never has been this
important, and the excitement generated the past two seasons in the Sprint Cup
Series has led to this implementation of the Chase format in all three national
series. Competition in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series will undoubtedly elevate to new heights and shine a spotlight on
the rising stars of our sport.”

The
NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will implement
seven-race, three-round Chase formats with unique characteristics but very much
in the same spirit of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. All three series
will conclude the Chase with a Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway
to crown a champion. However, all three will begin at different tracks: Chicago
(Sprint Cup Series), Kentucky (XFINITY Series) and New Hampshire (Camping World
Truck Series).

Drivers
still must declare a series in which they will earn points, and will only be
eligible to compete for a championship in that series. The 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series drivers who qualified for the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will
be ineligible to compete in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series Championship 4 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHASE

The
seven-race NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase will begin at Kentucky Speedway on Sept.
24, and feature 12 drivers and two elimination rounds, with four drivers
competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

A
win in the first 26 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR
XFINITY Series Chase, provided the driver is in the top 30 in points and has
attempted to qualify for each race. Drivers who win two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are
also all but guaranteed a Chase berth.

The
first round, called the Round of 12, consists of the races at Kentucky, Dover
and Charlotte. All drivers will start with their points adjusted to 2,000, with
three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 26
races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 12, the driver automatically
advances to the next round. The remaining available positions (1-8) that have
not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

Each
driver who advances to the Round of 8 (Kansas, Texas, Phoenix) then will have
their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 8
automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions
(1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

The
four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their
points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will be
crowned the NASCAR XFINITY Series champion.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES CHASE

The
seven-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase will begin at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway on Sept. 24. It will feature eight drivers and two elimination
rounds, with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami
Speedway. A win in the first 16 races all but guarantees a driver entry into
the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, provided that the driver is in the
Top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race.

The
first round, called the Round of 8, consists of the races at New Hampshire, Las
Vegas, and Talladega. All drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000,
with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the
first 16 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 8, the driver
automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions
(1-6) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

Each
driver who advances to the Round of 6 (Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix) then will
have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 6
automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions
(1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points.

The
four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their
points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will win the
championship.

All
rules outlined above also apply to both series’ owner championship structure.

3 comments:

Why, oh why? Pray tell? So we knew who was going to hoist the trophy at Homestead before Homestead. SO WHAT!! They deserved it. I actually enjoyed the lower series because of the absence of the this insanely lame logic. So sad, and the Emperor is still wearing no clothes and the yes men tell him he looks great. Seats taken out, empty seats...Goodness.

It's a reflection of NASCAR's present cluelessness about what constitutes racing. Racing is lead changes; going for the win; you have to go for the lead and right now; winning is what matters; points are secondary. But NASCAR still clings to the myth of "Game Seven Moments" and the 1992 season and so-called glorious championship chase - oblivious to the fact that incentive to win has been taken away and artificial reracks of points are considered a substitute for an actual season champion.